Naruto: Being the Messenger
by YenGirl
Summary: Naruto didn't mind doing a friend a favour. Really, he didn't. He just didn't expect it to hurt so much. Submitted for fanofthisfiction's 2019 'Misunderstandings' Show Me the Love Challenge!


**Author Notes:** Hello again, everyone!

I'm taking part in the **Misunderstandings** Show Me the Love One Shot Challenge organised by friend and fellow writer **fanofthisfiction**. Please hop over to her profile to read more about it and check out the other participating writers. I only ask that if you do read their stories, to please leave a review as a mark of appreciation.

This story starts midway Episode 479 (Naruto Uzumaki!) and deviates from there.

 **Appreciation:** Thank you to **fanofthisfiction** for inviting me to her challenge!

 **Warnings:** Spoilers for Shippuden.

 **Rating:** T

 **Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

\- Story Start -

Naruto Uzumaki stood in the shadows of the trees lining the road, his white long sleeved shirt a pale glow in the gloom. He waited as Sasuke Uchiha bade goodbye to Kakashi-sensei and Sakura at the main Konoha gates before turning to walk down the road.

When Sasuke stopped, Naruto's heart started to beat a little faster. He waited until Sasuke had stepped off the road and was in front of him before holding out the battered, scratched headband, willing his hand to stay steady.

Sasuke took it with a nod and looked at him.

Naruto stared back, his heart so full of all the things he wanted, needed, _longed_ , to say that he was sure if he just opened his mouth, everything would spill out as a jumbled up mess. Exactly how he felt this instant, with Sasuke looking at him with those all knowing eyes of his.

Naruto wanted to say _Don't go. Don't leave_ , but he had no right to deny Sasuke this all important journey to find himself.

Not when Sasuke had so many internal demons to exorcise.

Not when Kakashi-sensei as the Sixth Hokage had already authorised him to leave the village.

Not when Sakura herself was resigned to staying back.

Still, Naruto couldn't let him leave without saying something. Anything. Only his mind insisted on remaining a stupid, useless blank.

Damnit! Why did all his past battles - challenging the Akatsuki... facing Madara and Obito... fighting Kaguya - suddenly seem so easy by comparison?!

In the end, it didn't matter because Sasuke finally spoke, not even noticing the near basket case Naruto was.

"Kakashi-sensei agreed for me to send back any intel I find by hawk. I will only return a year from today."

Naruto swallowed and managed a miserable nod.

"I know."

"I have a... favour... to ask of you."

"What is it?" Naruto had to clear his throat, his voice was so raspy. But again, Sasuke didn't seem to notice.

"I will also send you personal messages," Naruto's heart leaped at that, "to pass on to the right person," and then sank.

"Oh. But how will I-"

"You will know who they are for when you read the messages," Sasuke replied in that cryptic way of his.

"So I can read them?"

"Of course, dobe. How else will you know who to pass them to?"

"Right. Do I need to reply you then?" Naruto was aware that he was asking stupid questions, but if they kept Sasuke from walking away for just a minute longer...

"No need. Just read the messages and pass them to the right person."

"Then why don't you send them directly to the recipients?" Naruto finally pushed two brain cells together to ask a logical question, only to have Sasuke look at him like it was his stupidest one yet.

"Garuda only recognises two people. I can't ask Kakashi-sensei, the Hokage, to run personal errands, right? Dobe."

Naruto glared at him before nodding. That was when Sasuke gripped his shoulder hard and smiled. Just a tiny twitch of his lips, but Naruto found his annoyance melting away.

"I'm counting on you."

"You got it," Naruto managed to say.

With a final look that seemed to hold a message Naruto couldn't read, Sasuke turned around and vanished.

\- o -

The first note came a month later while Naruto was heading to Training Ground 3 to practise a new jutsu.

An ear piercing shriek had him looking up to find a hawk circling in the air before swooping down, talons outstretched, to land on his left arm. Wincing at the sharp pinpricks, he raised his right bandaged hand and gingerly stroked Garuda on the head - that beak looked just as sharp - before removing the tiny scroll. He tried to unroll it, failed and realised it was sealed.

"Oh. _Kai!_ "

Ignoring Garuda's raised eyebrow look - even though hawks didn't have eyebrows - Naruto unrolled the small note. He had a feeling he knew who it was for.

 _'I never said 'Thank You' for all your years of steadfast friendship and loyalty.'_

Naruto smiled as he pocketed the note. Yes, Sakura would be very happy to get it. It wasn't a declaration of love, but it was something.

"Hey Garuda, how's Sasuke doing?"

With a flap of his wings, Garuda took off.

"Hey! I asked how Sasuke's... never mind."

The practice didn't go very well. He set two trees on fire.

\- o -

The second note came a month later while Naruto was heading to the Academy.

Iruka-sensei wanted to test his knowledge on the Five Great Nations, their main towns and villages, geographical properties and main sources of income. Naruto had stayed up late last night, trying to cram an unending list of facts and figures into his exhausted brain. He walked slowly, afraid that if he tripped and fell, an important bit of information might just fall out of his ears.

A loud shriek startled him into jerking his head up - drat, there went the name of an important town, he was sure - to see Garuda circling around and then swooping down to settle on his outstretched arm. He stroked the proud head before removing the scroll. This time, he remembered to release the seal first.

 _'I never said 'I'm Sorry' for all the times I doubted your feelings for me.'_

Ignoring the pang in his heart, Naruto smiled as he folded up the note. Sasuke's apology to Sakura was a long, long time in coming.

"Hey Garuda, Sasuke doing OK then?"

Garuda took off.

"At least answer me first!" Naruto yelled, forgetting that he and Garuda didn't speak the same language.

The test didn't go very well. He failed it.

\- o -

The third note came a month later while Naruto was at the hospital for a routine check on his new arm. Tsunade was _not_ pleased to see Garuda slipping through the half open window of her office.

"Sorry, Granny Tsunade! Just let me get the-"

"Absolutely not! Do _you_ see Tonton anywhere here? No! Because this is a hospital, Naruto! You!" She pointed a manicured finger at the offended looking Garuda. "Out! Out! You'll pass your message to Naruto after I'm done with him!"

It was a mark of how fierce Tsunade could be that Garuda actually flew back out the window which Shizune hurried to open wider, though not before fluffing his feathers in outrage and giving a snort that sounded like Sasuke's.

Naruto quickly masked his grin when Tsunade turned back to him.

Later on the rooftop, Naruto offered Garuda a slice of meat he had nicked from a passing food trolley as an apology before retrieving the note.

 _'I never said 'Forgive me' for all the times I hurt you through my words and actions.'_

Even though Garuda waited, as if expecting an enquiry about Sasuke, Naruto kept silent. The pang in his heart was sharper this time, causing the corners of his lips to droop. He didn't mind doing a friend a favour. Really, he didn't, and it certainly was no hardship going over to the hospital to visit Sakura. In fact, he was still here so it was even less trouble for him this time.

It was just that... well, if all of Sasuke's messages were for Sakura then why didn't he train Garuda to recognise her?

Her pink hair could be seen a mile away! Well, so could his blond hair, but...

Naruto pressed his lips together.

Was it because Sasuke didn't want to disturb Sakura while she was working whereas he, Naruto, had nothing to do except catch up on his studies?

That thought didn't make him feel any better.

\- o -

The fourth note came a month later while Naruto was at Ichiraku's, enjoying a well deserved bowl of ramen after another exhausting training session. Garuda swooped through the small curtain and landed on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto reached up to stroke the feathery head before untying the scroll.

 _'I never said it was thoughts of you that kept me going when I felt like I was dead inside.'_

"What's wrong with the ramen?"

Naruto quickly looked up and forced a smile.

"Oh, nothing wrong, old man Teuchi! It's as good as always!"

Why had Sasuke asked him to deliver all his notes?

And worse, why had he agreed to it?!

Gah!

"Why are you glaring at your ramen, Naruto?"

"What? I'm not, Ayame! It's just that..."

"What is it? Bad news?"

Naruto opened his mouth and closed it again, shaking his head and feeling downright miserable. He fed the last piece of _char siu_ to Garuda, and for the first time in his life, left Ichiraku's without finishing his meal.

\- o -

The fifth note came a month later while Naruto was at the _onsen_ with some of his friends. He was half sitting, half lying against the side with his eyes closed, barely hearing the commotion outside or the flapping of wings until sharp talons dug into his bare shoulder.

"Ahh, what the hell?!"

Buttocks slipping on the smooth tiles, he went under. When he resurfaced, flailing and spluttering, Garuda was in the air, flapping his wings and shrieking his indignation at getting splashed with hot water. Sai, Shikamaru and Choji were wincing from the abuse to their eardrums. Kiba was on his feet and demanding that since hawks were allowed inside onsen, then dogs should damned well be too!

"That's not fair, Kiba," Shino pointed out. "Why? Because it's Sasuke's hawk, and not Naruto's."

He then sank lower still until only his eyes and nose remained above the water.

"Sorry, everyone!" Naruto held out his arm and when Garuda perched on it, glaring balefully at him, grinned apologetically. "Sorry, buddy, you startled me..."

Garuda sniffed, but allowed his head to be stroked before Naruto removed the scroll attached to its leg.

 _'I never said it was what you would do if I never came back that gave me the strength to continue.'_

Folding up the note with wet fingers, Naruto sighed and climbed out of the pool, ignoring the others as they called after him.

\- o -

The sixth note arrived a month later while Naruto was still in bed, preoccupied with the very erotic dream he had woken up from, with a certain _someone_ with dark hair. Garuda swept in through the open window a few minutes later and caught him literally with his pants down.

"Gah! Garuda!"

By the time a red faced Naruto yanked up his boxers and retrieved the note, he had gone completely limp.

Stupid Sasuke!

\- o -

And on and on it went, until eleven months had passed and Naruto had handed a total of eleven notes to Sakura. He had given up trying to decipher the strange look in her eyes whenever he saw her. At times, it looked like pained amusement, at others, it looked like pity.

As for himself, he was sure his smile looked more and more like a grimace each time he went to see her.

Strangely enough, Sakura never asked him to deliver a reply to Sasuke. Even stranger, she never seemed as happy as he thought she would be.

Naruto couldn't muster up the energy or inclination to ask her why. He only knew he would be ecstatic, over the moon, if he were in her-

Stupid Sasuke!

\- o -

A whole year had passed since Sasuke started on his travels.

Against his better judgement, Naruto found himself standing outside the main gates that morning. He looked up when Garuda circled in the blue sky before coming in to land on his outstretched arm, giving an affectionate nip to his ear. Stroking the smooth feathers, Naruto smiled, but his heart was like a stone in his chest.

"Sasuke couldn't resist sending a final note, huh," he muttered as he untied the tiny scroll and released the seal.

 _"I never said it was the tears in your eyes, blue like the sky, that made me regret every single hurt I had caused you."_

Naruto blinked, wondering if he had read wrongly. But he hadn't.

Was Sasuke colour blind then?

Was that a side effect of those famed Mangekyo Sharingan eyes?

Had he overused them?

Was he going blind?!

Oh, wait... his were Eternal Mangekyo. But maybe it was the Rinnegan in his left eye that was confusing his vision?

Because everyone in the Leaf village _and_ their grandmother knew that Sakura's eyes were green! It was _Naruto's_ eyes that were blue.

Like... the... sky.

Why was it so hard to breathe all of a sudden?

Naruto's heart was thundering in his chest and echoing in his ears as disjointed thoughts and images and words all got jumbled up inside his mind.

Because all those notes from Sasuke... all twelve of them...they were for _Sakura,_ right?

Right?

"Naruto."

Naruto spun around to see Sakura standing before him.

"Sakura, all those notes from Sasuke," he managed to get out past his raw throat. "Weren't they meant for you?"

Sakura smiled, but her eyes were shiny.

"No, silly! They were all meant for _you._ "

"What?" Naruto swallowed. Or tried to - his hammering heart was in the way. And his mouth was so dry.

"Naruto, you're such an idiot!"

"Why?"

Sakura made an impatient sound and thrust a handful of crumpled paper at him.

"Because none of the notes were for me! Not one! Take them back!"

"But-" Naruto's shaking fingers closed around the notes.

Sakura placed her hands on her hips and tossed her head.

"Why do you think Sasuke-kun had Garuda deliver them to _you?_ "

"Because... because... " Naruto's mind was spinning like a _rasengan_ , trying and trying, and failing to make any sort of sense.

Sakura tossed her head again.

"Honestly, you're such an idiot!"

"Sakura," Naruto whined automatically.

"It's true." The hurt in Sakura' eyes was more obvious now. "I don't know why Sasuke-kun... uh..."

"Why he what, Sakura?"

"Take a guess!"

"I can't!"

"Guess!"

"I don't know," Naruto groaned. "Tell me!"

"I'm not going to! Isn't it enough that I've lost- well, figure it out yourself!"

Naruto spotted Kakashi-sensei strolling out the gates towards them, eyebrows well up at the ongoing squabble.

"Tell me, Sakura, please!"

"It's been a whole year and you _still_ haven't figured it out yet? You're such an idiot, Naruto!"

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are, dobe."

Naruto's heart slammed to a stop and then raced on again as he swung around.

Sasuke stood there in his traveling cloak, dusty and travel worn and looking so damned beautiful that Naruto quite forgot how to breathe.

"Sasuke." His throat was so tight it hurt to talk. "You're back."

One eyebrow went up.

"Is that all you've got to say?"

"W-what do you want me to say?"

"How about a reply to all my twelve notes for a start?"

"What? You said no reply was needed!"

Sasuke rolled his visible eye.

"I should've known you couldn't read between the lines," he muttered.

"What lines? Each note had only one line!"

Sasuke glared at him. Naruto glared right back.

"You are the most... obtuse... oblivious..." Sasuke broke off, shaking his head. He strode forward and grabbed Naruto's chin with strong fingers.

"Hey, what - mmph!"

The kiss was hard and brief and just about fried the rest of Naruto's brain cells that were still functioning.

"I love you. _You_ , dobe," Sasuke told him. "Get used to it."

Naruto closed his mouth which had fallen open. He opened it and closed it again. Then he blinked hard and sniffed, colour washing into his cheeks.

"Teme," he growled. "Why the hell didn't you just _say_ that in your notes?"

A tiny smirk curled one corner of Sasuke's lips.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Naruto growled and grabbed his shoulders, yanking him in for a kiss that was even harder than the one before. Then he pushed Sasuke back a bit to glare at him again.

"So," he said in a low, threatening voice, "had fun sending me a note a month?"

Sasuke smirked again.

"Definitely."

Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously, a flicker of red in those blue depths.

"Had fun traveling all over the place?"

Sasuke shook his head at that, smirk disappearing.

"No. Been lonely as hell," he admitted.

"Oh."

"I meant what I wrote," Sasuke confessed. "I'm just... not good at saying them out loud."

Naruto smiled and pulled him closer until their foreheads touched.

"I got your notes. They'll do."

They kissed again, oblivious to Sakura who rolled her eyes before walking back inside the gates. Kakashi Hatake fell into step beside her, hands in his pockets. They both knew that their presence wouldn't be welcome right this minute.

There was time enough for Team 7 to catch up at a later date.

\- Story End -

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! I hope this story lived up to the **Misunderstandings** theme. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it :)


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